Methods and systems for enhancement of positioning related protocols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284566-B2
Application number	US-202418427296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2024
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

Methods and techniques are described for enhancing positioning related protocols in order to indicate when one location session is different from another location session. One or more messages provided in a location session by a location server to a user equipment (UE) may include a session indication, such as a session identifier (ID), where a different session ID is provided for each location session. The session indication may be a new session indicator provided in an initial message in a location session or an end session indicator provided in a final message in a location session. An extra message may be sent by the location server indicating that the location session has ended. A correlation ID provided by a network entity to the location server may be included in messages as the session indication, e.g., where a different correlation ID is provided for each location session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE) performed by a UE, the method comprising:
sending a first location request to a network entity;
receiving an initial message for a first location session and an indication of the first location session from the network entity;
receiving an end message indicating an end of the first location session from the network entity, wherein the network entity, after sending the end message, completes the first location session by calculating a location of the UE corresponding to the first location request;
sending a second location request to a network entity; and
receiving, from the network entity, an initial message for a second location session and an indication of the second location session wherein the second location session is initiated after the first location session ends, wherein at least one of the end message of the first location session and the indication of the second location session indicate that the second location session is different from the first location session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the first location session and the indication end message of the first location session comprise a first correlation identifier (ID) and the indication of the second location session comprises a second correlation ID, wherein the second correlation ID is different from the first correlation ID.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the network entity determines the first correlation ID and the second correlation ID.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the indication of the first location session and the end message of the first location session comprise a first session identifier (ID) determined by a location server, wherein the initial message for the first location session comprises the first session ID;
the indication of the second location session comprises a second session ID determined by the location server;
the second session ID is different from the first session ID; and
the initial message for the second location session comprises the second session ID.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the location server is an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) and the network entity is a Mobility Management Entity (MME).

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the location server is a Location Management Function (LMF) and the network entity is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the first location session comprises an indication that the first location session is a new location session and the indication of the second location session comprises an indication that the second location session is a new location session.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end message of the first location session is an acknowledgment message.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial message for the first location session, the end message for the first location session and the initial message for the second location session are each a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) message or a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) Transport message containing an LPP message.

10. A user equipment (UE) for supporting location services for the UE, the UE comprising:
at least one wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one wireless network;
at least one memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor coupled to the at least one wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured by the instructions stored in the memory to:
send, via the at least one wireless transceiver, a first location request to a network entity;
receive, via the at least one wireless transceiver, an initial message for a first location session and an indication of the first location session from the network entity;
receive, via the at least one wireless transceiver, an end message indicating an end of the first location session from the network entity, wherein the network entity, after sending the end message, completes the first location session by calculating a location of the UE corresponding to the first location request;
send, via the at least one wireless transceiver, a second location request to a network entity; and
receive, from the network entity, via the at least one wireless transceiver, an initial message for a second location session and an indication of the second location session wherein the second location session is initiated after the first location session ends, wherein at least one of the end message of the first location session and the indication of the second location session indicate that the second location session is different from the first location session.

11. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the first location session and the end message of the first location session comprise a first correlation identifier (ID) and the indication of the second location session comprises a second correlation ID, wherein the second correlation ID is different from the first correlation ID.

12. The UE of claim 11 , wherein the network entity determines the first correlation ID and the second correlation ID.

13. The UE of claim 10 , wherein:
the indication of the first location session and the end message of the first location session comprise a first session identifier (ID) determined by a location server, wherein the initial message for the first location session comprises the first session ID;
the indication of the second location session comprises a second session ID determined by the location server;
the second session ID is different from the first session ID; and
the initial message for the second location session comprises the second session ID.

14. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the first location session comprises an indication that the first location session is a new location session and the indication of the second location session comprises an indication that the second location session is a new location session.

15. A method for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE) performed by a network entity, the method comprising:
receiving an initial message for a first location session for the UE and an indication of the first location session from a location server;
sending the initial message for the first location session and the indication of the first location session to the UE;
receiving an end message indicating an end of the first location session from the location server;
sending the end message for the first location session and a second indication of the first location session to the UE, wherein the network entity, after sending the end message, completes the first location session by calculating a location of the UE corresponding to the first location request;
receiving an initial message for a second location session for the UE and an indication of the second location session from the location server, wherein the second location session is initiated after the first location session ends; and
sending the initial message for the second location session and the indication of the second location session to the UE, wherein at least one of the end message of the first location session and the indication of the second location session indicate that the second location session is different from the first location session.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indication of the first location session and the end message of the first location session comprise a first correlation identif

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Jain Amit
• Edge Stephen William
• Kumar Akash

Classifications

• H04L67/146

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04L67/143

  Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session · CPC title

• H04W80/06

  Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless {(transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16)} · CPC title